The Halloween Costume Catharsis in Greenwich Village

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In my last post — about how Halloween is a photographer's trap — I wondered out loud whether I should take another stab at shooting this tricky event after a pause of several years. I was not exactly excited to embark on this adventure, fully expecting to fail yet again. But then a great thing happened. Landon Nordeman, a sensei of nightlife photography who’s acutely attuned to social behavior, texted me to say he was also going out to photograph the streets. We often find ourselves shooting the same events, from society parties to fashion week. And I always like to compare notes later. It's amazing to me how shooting with a similar setup — Landon also uses an off-camera flash — in the same tight space can yield incredibly different results. I find such competition inspiring; it teaches me to look at things differently and to push myself harder. So, when I got Landon's text, my ambivalence sharpened into giddy enthusiasm. Now I had to bring my A-game.

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What made this night different from all the other times is that I ... enjoyed myself. This was the first Halloween parade in the city since the start of the pandemic and it felt cathartic. For a few hours, Greenwich village turned into a gigantic block party, the streets imploding with energy. It felt really, really good.

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Having said all that, let me reiterate: it's not easy to make a great image at Halloween. It's too crowded, too performative and way too photographed. Having failed previously when trying to document the night by looking for big, poignant moments, I focused this time on teasing out the humor and quieter scenes amid the overwhelming chaos. Oscillating between using flash and natural light, I opted for flash to take things out of context. The way to compete with the performative nature of Halloween is to double down on the theatricality of it. When used off-camera, flash does just that by taking the subject out of the environment and dramatically spotlighting them.

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While I tried to bring my A-game, Halloween is still Halloween. I feel that the images, if graded generously, can get away with a B+. There are some nice moments, and some funny ones. But I can't say I am eager to repeat the experience next year. What I am eager is to see Landon's images once the series is published. I bet that it will be a treat.